Capacitor constructions are utilized in numerous semiconductor structures, such as, for example, memory arrays. An exemplary memory array is a dynamic random access memory (DRAM) array, with individual DRAM cells of the array comprising a capacitor and a transistor.
Capacitor constructions comprise a first conductive capacitor electrode and a second conductive capacitor electrode, separated by a dielectric material. Among the compositions suitable for utilization as capacitor electrodes are metals, such as, for example, platinum, rhodium, iridium, ruthenium, etc. The metals can be deposited by exposing a metallo-organic precursor material to an oxidizing ambient (such as, for example, an ambient O2, O3, and/or N2O) to break down the precursor and release the metal. The released metal can then deposit on a substrate to form a metal film which is ultimately incorporated into a capacitor device as a capacitor electrode.
A difficulty which can occur during oxidation of the metallo-organic precursors is that materials associated with a semiconductor substrate are exposed to the oxidizing conditions, and can themselves become oxidized or otherwise degraded during the degradation of the metallo-organic precursors. Accordingly, it would be desirable to develop alternative methods for formation of metallic materials on semiconductor substrates, other than the oxidation of metallo-organic precursors.